The Graphic Novel: Literature Lite?
Andrea A. Lunsford
223 Building 460
650-723-0682
lunsford@stanford.edu
English 87Q
MW 3:15 - 5:05
329 Bldg. 160
Course Description
This seminar addresses the transformations from “funnies” to “comics” to “graphic
novels,” asking how the definitions and representations of this genre have changed over
the last century and examining the current controversy over the status of the graphic
novel. We will also read/view a number of graphic novels by artists such as Art
Spiegelman, Lynda Barry, Marjane Satrapi, and Gilbert Hernandez. Students in this
seminar will pursue a major research project that might, for example, examine the work
of one graphic novelist, analyze a sub-genre of the graphic novel, trace the development
of one theme in a number of graphic novels, analyze the role of concepts such as gender,
race, and class in one or more graphic novels, explore the relationship between verbal and
visual texts in a set of novels, or examine the transformation of graphic novel into film.
Since this course is designed to fulfill the requirement for Writing and Rhetoric 2,
students will not only write extensively about their research but also make several formal
presentations based on that research.
Textbooks
Barry, Lynda. One! Hundred! Demons! Sasquatch, 2002.
Hernandez, Gilbert. Luba: the Book of Ofelia (a Love and Rockets book). Fantagraphics
Books, 2006.
Lunsford, Andrea. EasyWriter: a Pocket Guide to Writing. Bedford/St. Martins, 2006.
Sacco, Joe. Safe Area Gorazde: the War in Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995. Fantagraphics
Books, 2002.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: the Story of Childhood. Pantheon, 2003.
Spiegelman, Art. Maus: a Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History / And Here
My Troubles Began. Pantheon, 1993.
A collection of “funnies,” “comics,” chapters, and articles posted on our class
CourseWork site.
Assignments
Overall, you can expect to write about 20 to 25 pages of revised text for this class along
with 15 to 20 minutes of formal class presentations.
 To begin, you’ll create a research question related to the graphic novel tradition
and develop it into a research proposal you will present to the class (a 2-page
script and 5-minute oral presentation)
 Your next assignment will be to write a 10- to 12-page research-based argument
growing out of your proposal.
 For the third assignment, you will begin with the draft of your researched
argument and then decide how best to “translate” it into another medium: an
extensive power-point presentation, a Website, an audio essay, and so on. As you
make these decisions, you will explore strategies of delivery across media and
mode, articulating which medium or media will be most effective in reaching a
particular audience with your research.
 You will then make a 10-minute presentation of your “translated” research (for
which you’ll develop an oral script of about 5 pages.
 Your final written assignment will be a reflective essay on what you have learned
about choosing the best genre and medium in which to present research.
 And last, you’ll make a 3- to 5-minute presentation based on your reflective essay
(again, for which you’ll prepare an oral script).
Class Schedule
Week One:
January 11
Where does the graphic novel come from?
Preliminary research proposals drafted
Practice sessions for proposal presentations set up
Week Two:
January 16
Martin Luther King Day: no classes
January 18
Research proposal presentations
Classic “funnies” and “comics” – from media library
Week Three:
First conferences
January 23
Classic “funnies” and “comics,” continued
Some ground rules for graphic novels
Visit to Special Collections
Draft of research project due
January 25
Revision workshop
Are graphic novels “literature”?
Excerpt from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics:
question—are comics a genre, a medium, or a language?
Week Four:
January 30
Art Spiegelman, Maus, volumes 1 and 2
February 1
Joe Sacco and comics journalism: Safe Area Gorazde: the War in
Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995
Revised research-based argument due
In-class workshop on “translating” from one medium to another
Week Five:
Second conferences
February 6
Gilbert Hernandez, Luba: the Book of Ofelia
February 8
The making of a comic or graphic novel: how you can use the
language of the comics.
Week Six:
February 13
Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis: the Story of Childhood.
A taste of Eurocomics: see CourseWork site
February 15
Draft of “translations” due
Practice sessions for presentations set up
Revision workshop
Week Seven:
February 20
Presidents’ Day: no classes
February 22
Presentation of “translations”
Week Eight:
February 27
Presentation of “translations”
March 1
Special topic to be chosen by class: TBA
Week Nine:
Third conferences
March 6
Draft of reflective essay due
Revision workshop
March 8
Lynda Barry, One! Hundred! Demons!
Week Ten:
March 13
Revised reflective essay due
Presentations of reflections
March 15
The future of graphic novels (Webcomics? Manga? Minicomics?)